Kukla's Korner Hockey

Nolan previously indicated his frustration with Yashin’s ability to play through a knee injury, leading to a scoreless streak that coincides exactly with the Isles’ slide to 19-19-3. When a Yashin turnover led to a goal by Erik Cole and a 2-0 Hurricanes lead 37 seconds into the second period, Nolan benched the team captain the rest of the period.
“You look through the whole league, and your best players have to be your best players night after night,” Nolan said after the game. “That’s the price you pay to be an elite player. It just comes with the territory.
“Yashin is a premium player, so he’s got to play like that. That’s not adding any pressure on his game, except the facts are the facts. He’s got to play a little bit better, and we’ve got to support him.”